D23 holds off Expo for one year, announces shorter event

As rumored last week D23, Disney’s attempt an official fan club, has postponed the D23 Expo for one year. Instead they’re offering a smaller event in the fall focused exclusively on Disneyland. Additionally, the 2011 D23 Expo will be 3 days long and not four.

I wish them the best of luck as they try to figure out how to make D23 more successful for the company and for its fans.

2011 Dates for D23 EXPO Also Announced
as the Official Community for Disney Fans Marks First Year

BURBANK, Calif. – March 10, 2010 – It’s a milestone year for the Disneyland® Resort, and D23: The Official Community for Disney Fans is celebrating with the premiere of DESTINATION D, a brand-new, two-day event exclusively for D23 Members that illuminates Disney’s fascinating history.

D23 announced its latest members-only event on its first anniversary – capping a year in which Disney’s first-ever fan community grew to encompass tens of thousands of members from all 50 U.S. states and more than 30 countries worldwide

The inaugural DESTINATION D, whose theme is “Disneyland ’55,” will be held this Sept. 24-25. DESTINATION D: Disneyland ’55 will take D23 Members on a journey through the design, creation, debut and magical history of the world’s first Disney theme park. The first DESTINATION D will be held in the Grand Ballroom of the Disneyland Hotel.

DESTINATION D: Disneyland ’55 will offer two full days of special presentations, panels, screenings and guest speakers that let fans meet and talk with key figures in Disneyland’s history. Future DESTINATION D events will explore other important aspects of Disney’s creative legacy. Following its premiere in September, DESTINATION D will alternate annually with the enormously popular D23 EXPO.

The next D23 EXPO is set for Aug. 19-21, 2011, returning to the Anaheim Convention Center. Tickets for the 2011 D23 EXPO will go on sale Aug. 19 (one year in advance), with specially priced tickets available exclusively to D23 Members. In addition, D23 Charter Members will have access to a special Charter Member Lounge at the 2011 D23 EXPO, at no additional cost.

The first-ever D23 EXPO attracted nearly 40,000 Disney fans when it debuted last September, bringing the entire world of Disney under one massive roof. During the D23 EXPO, fans were treated to appearances by superstars like Johnny Depp, Miley Cyrus and John Travolta; explored exciting, new concepts and attractions from Disney Parks and Walt Disney Imagineering; peered into Disney’s history at special panels, presentations and displays; and discovered the newest entertainment, products and events from throughout The Walt Disney Company.

“The first D23 EXPO, surpassed all of our expectations, and our 2011 Expo is already shaping up to be a jaw-dropping, not-to-be missed showcase of the best and brightest Disney has to offer,” said Steven Clark, head of D23.

“We’re very excited to also be creating an entirely new event with DESTINATION D, which will bring Disney’s fascinating history to D23 Members in ways no other Disney fan can experience,” Clark said. “There’s nowhere on earth quite as special as Disneyland, and we want fans to see it as they never have before.”

The D23 team is in the midst of developing exclusive programming for DESTINATION D – but an early peek at plans reveals a host of special speakers, presentations and panels throughout the two-day event, including:

· “Disneyland: The Way We Were” – Disney’s Chief Archivist Dave Smith will look back at highlights from Disneyland history;

· “Disney Undiscovered” – An exploration of never-built projects and attractions developed for Disneyland;

· “Weird Disney” – A showcase for some of the quirky, little-known facts, places, people and ideas that even the most avid fan might not know.

More details on the programming and events planned for DESTINATION D: Disneyland ’55 – as well as details about the 2011 D23 EXPO – will be available soon at www.disney.com/D23. Tickets will go on sale early this summer.

DESTINATION D joins a lineup of special events throughout 2010 designed exclusively for D23 Members. Among them are free screenings of classic Disney movies during the “50 & Fabulous” film festival at the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank; members-only tours of the famed Walt Disney Archives; an exclusive Sip & Stroll event during the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival; and holiday-themed Magic and Merriment weekend at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.

3 Responses to D23 holds off Expo for one year, announces shorter event

Man, I’m glad I didn’t renew. It should be called “D23: The Official Disney Fan Club (For Fans Who Happen To Live in Southern California)”. I joined because I thought how lucky it was that I lived right near Disney World and that I’d be able to take in some of the many events D23 promised. Ha!

I was going to join D23 but I decided to wait to see what all it offered and just buy the magazines on my own. I’m glad I didn’t join because they don’t do anything in Disney World, just Disneyland which I think is dumb. Why not split time between CA and FL? (maybe make membership a little cheaper or a family rate to join would be nice, too). It will go away just like the super popular VMK online game and the always busy World of Disney store in NYC. Disney has to get their act together…
~disappointed long-time Disney fan

We are huge disney fans and were so excited when the D23 was going to be announced. The rumors made us think that this was going to be great. We thought that disney was finally going recognize the loyal group that we are by starting a rewards program of sorts….something along the lines of the hotel point programs…no instead it presented a 75 dollar per person membership, did not have a family memebership, and only really tried to sell me things….couple that with the CA events and no FL events and it is a big bust for me…we didn’t join…and do not intend to. We are annual pass holders and quite frankly we are not feeling the disney “love” these days!

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